Finally
by anothermiracle
Summary: [Last few chapters in Natsume's POV] Your name is Natsume Hyuuga, and you think you may need to reconsider this existence again. #9


**Disclaimer: **All recognizable characters belong to Higuchi Tachibana.

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**Finally**

_The feeling of loss is something too great a burden any human should bear alone, you think. It is as swift as a cutting knife, yet the pain lingers on and the wound never heals._

You may need to reconsider this existence again.

That is what you think when you open your eyes for the first time in ten days; seven days after she had disappeared - a week too late for you to sew the stitches to connect half your heart with hers. And now all you're left with is a hole in your being, a hoarse throat from screaming her name (which ultimately had fallen on deaf ears), and an even larger determination to get her back into your arms again.

You think that may be why the pain lives on.

It doesn't go away five years later when you had been called to the Middle School Principal's office on urgent notice. Her name comes up in the conversation and suddenly you lose your bearings - at least in your mind, God forbid it had shown on your face - and you feel your fingertips grow numb. Your mind aches at the thought of her and you reach into the recesses of your heart to grasp onto that hope that had once been buried under sleepless nights and forgotten memories. You are surprised to find that it had been alive and breathing all along - albeit in need of sustenance - and you set off on this long-awaited mission.

It hadn't been long until you had found her.

The minute she falls into your periphery, you want to run away. The first thing you notice is her hair. Auburn, soft, and most importantly, out of those horrid pig tails, it cascades down her back. Part of you almost reaches out to her, and the other part cruelly mocks you with the reminder that _she doesn't fucking remember you._ That realization chokes you and your actions, ceasing you like a vice, and you stand there, arms rigid by your sides.

You think you may be somewhat of a masochist.

You watch her as she lives out her daily routine - running to school while shouting like a banshee, making it in time for class only to realise she had forgotten her math homework, attending lessons, then walking back home with her two so-called best friends. Somewhere along the path back to her house, you notice a figure trailing behind the trio and you're immediately on alert. Your body tenses in preparation as he opens his mouth. He calls her out, and she turns. At that moment, you sneak a glance at his face and locate a blush, familiar to lovestruck, infatuated boys universally, dusting his cheeks.

You think life really likes throwing you around like a rag doll.

He confesses, and she rejects him. It is swift, yet kind, and your heart swells at that, because she is so endearingly thoughtful - even to those who least deserve it. She returns to the company of her two friends, and you watch as they continue their journey. They pause along the peripherals of the ocean, Mikan walking ahead of the other two to gaze at the crashing waves. Despite her smile, she looks lonely and you wonder if she senses the emptiness her memories cannot fill. Your eyes soften as you lean on the railing outlining the beach, a small smile appearing on your face.

It had happened so fast.

One moment, you had been watching her back and the next, your view had been blocked by several figures in black attire. They surround the frightened girl and gradually begin to approach her. A pair of them have deemed her friends immobile, and they remain useless in the arms of their captors. They shout at her to run, which thankfully she pays attention to and follows suit. She appears once again in your visual field, her face full of alarm and fear. Somehow that triggers something in you and before you know it, a forest of flames appears right behind her, burning all her pursuers to the crisp.

She screams in shock and ceases her escape, much to your chagrin, frozen. She looks around - for the source of the strange, foreign fire, no doubt - but instead of fear, you see a look of curiosity and wonder on her face. Your heart clenches, but it does not distract you from the incoming wave of kidnappers anew. You move to commandeer another string of fire their way, but stop when you see Narumi take them down.

You hear her scream once more before running off in search of her friends for the safe recluse of familiarity. Unfortunately, the stronger of the two manages to release himself from his captor with a flying kick, much to the surprise of Mikan. A few cracks of the neck and stretches here and there later, the boy slowly morphs into someone more familiar to you: Goshima. He turn and smiles at Mikan, then engages in conversation with Narumi.

At this point, you notice the colour fading away from the girl's face. Quickly, you make your way to catch her by the wrist as she collapses. Her head collides with your chest and you suck in a deep breath.

Her bright mocha-coloured eyes turn to you and you can't help but stare back. Studying the contours of her faces, the little imperfections, you soak in five years' worth of lost time. Her mouth is open in bewilderment - and not fear - and she gazes at you, her eyebrows furrowing in the slightest. You see a wide array of emotions flash before her eyes: confusion, surprise, bafflement, desperation, hope. It is the last of these that catches you off guard, and immediately your mind short-circuits. Your actions suddenly seem awfully disconnected to your mind.

"Hmm... Seems like they've grown a bit," you state, your hand resting on her chest.

You wince at the loud, anticipated shriek that follows after. She attempts to free herself from your grasp, but your hand goes up to grab onto her shoulder. She only ceases her flailing upon the appearance of three of your companions. Immediately, she is awestruck by none other than Ruka and his prince-like appearance, you notice with annoyance. A few words are exchanged as she sits on the floor - half-disoriented, half-afraid - but soon, she is running again. You click your tongue.

You've never been known to be a patient man.

You employ the effects of grueling hours of Persona's training from your younger days, swiftly blocking her blind dash away from the group. Your eyes flash to hers before you wrap your arms around her small frame. You take a moment to relish in the sensation of ensnaring her in your arms. Your voice then bursts forth.

"Do you think I can just let you go? Stop kidding me!" You scream hoarsely. "Just how long do you think I've been searching for you since then? When I woke up and you weren't there, how do you think I took that? Do you know," your voice cracks.

"Do you know how hard I've been trying to live for this moment to see you again?" You swallow. "Don't just go ahead and forget people, dammit!"

Your thoughts jump to a turbulent time, not unlike this, involving a balcony, the moon and a promise.

"Even if you have lost your memories, and the Alice Stone from back then, you are mine," you speak with conviction, reinstating your claim on her and renewing that contract made under the glow of twilight. Your hand buries itself in her hair, and you delve deeper into the crook of her neck. She remains stock still, and you feel hope draining out of you again.

You almost loosen the hold you have on her when you hear a sob escape her lips. The sound courses through your veins and shocks you to the ends of your fingertips. You feel her arms making their way around your torso, and her hands grip the cloth on your back. You tighten your grip on her and your eyes close - your body almost sagging with relief from simply her acknowledging your passion, your misery, you love.

At the corner of your eye, you notice a glow emanating from your pocket. You pull back from her embrace and move to retrieve the source of the glow. Your eyes widen when you see Mikan's Alice Stone - small and fragile - giving off a tiny light in the palm of your hand. The strange turn of events almost blind you with anticipation, and you turn to her, bringing your hand up to hers. Dropping the stone into her hand, you wait.

She seems frozen in place for a minute or so, and the both of you watch as the stone disappears into her palm. A breeze blows past and instantaneously, you see a switch in her eyes - from uncertainty to recognition. Your fists clench, and your heart surges as her eyes begin to water. A smile gradually forms on her face, and she says that one word that undoes you.

"Natsume," she breathes out. It falls on your ears like a blessing and awakens your soul. She repeats it again and you're overwhelmed. Your hands go up to cup her face and you struggle to keep the smile off yours. It becomes impossible to keep track of what is going on, but all you know is this: your name had never sounded so beautiful coming from anywhere else - and you intend to keep it that way.

Your name is Nastume Hyuuga, and you think reconsidering your existence can definitely wait.

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**A/N: **Hey guys! I'm really hoping that the Gakuen Alice fandom is still alive at this point. It's been six? seven? years and it has finally come to an end! Anyway, I hope you like this oneshot I've come up with. It was largely just something I wanted to indulge in - Natsume's point of view in the last few chapters (poor baby). So yes, it's been a long run and we're finally at the end. Kudos to Higuchi Tachibana. May your legacy live on forever in our hearts.


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